India At World Para Athletics Championships: Deepa Malik Says Citizens, Govt 'Must Acknowledge Achievements'

With the curtains coming down on the New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships on Sunday (October 5), reactions have begun pouring on Indian para athletes' performance and the organisation of the Championships in the national capital's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

More than 2200 participants from 100-plus nations competed for 186 medal events, with the first-time hosts pocketing a record 22 medals, including six gold, nine silver and seven bronze, their best-ever performance at the marquee event till date.

At previous world championships, India had clinched nine medals at the Dubai 2019 edition, 10 medals at Paris 2023 and 17 medals at 2024 Kobe edition. In the Paralympics too, India’s medal tally witnessed a surge from two medals at 2004 Athens to four medals in 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 19 medals in 2020 Tokyo and 29 medals, their best performance till date, at 2024 Paris Paralympics.

What Sumit Antil Said

Triple world champion Sumit Antil, who created a Championship Record on his way to gold in the men’s javelin throw F64 event, said that support through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) made all the difference for Indian para athletes.

“TOPS started in 2014 and from there the wheel started turning in the right direction for Indian athletes. From getting international exposure to best-in-class training facilities at Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) centres in Sonepat and Gandhinagar, para athletes are provided top-notch coaches, nutritionists, diet, recovery mechanisms which was unheard of before the Commonwealth Games. That has helped our performance improve manifold.”

Deepa Malik, winner of multiple international medals at the Paralympic Games, Asian Para Games and World Championships and a veteran administrator, said that both citizens and the government must now acknowledge the achievements of para athletes.

Deepa added that she had never expected that India will be organising the World Para Athletics Championships so well. “As an athlete and an administrator, I am elated to say how India has successfully hosted 100-plus countries, and this has been the biggest-ever celebration of para sport in India.

This is going to create so much awareness and love in the hearts of Indians and not just India at the global map. Last time when we had the biggest conglomeration of para sports in a multi-nation tournament, it was Commonwealth Games 2010. The scene today is altogether different when it comes to the organisation of the Games, from infrastructure to accommodation, travel to volunteers, etc,” she said.

Reactions From Foreign Para Athletes

Fleur Jong, a six-time gold medallist in World Championships and three-time Paralympic medallist from The Netherlands, praised the Indian hospitality and the welcoming attitude of the hosts. Fleur, a double amputee, won two gold medals in the long jump and 100m T64 category in New Delhi.

“It has been a fantastic experience here in India. The people, including the officials, volunteers, medical staff, hotel staff all have been very welcoming and always ready to help. The event has been organised very well. I look forward to coming back whenever the opportunity comes,” Fleur said.

Paralympic medallist and coach Amit Saroha, who trains World Championship medallists Ekta Bhyan and Dharambir, said the Para Worlds were the best organised international event in India till date and that the hosts were capable of staging the Paralympics now.

There was more praise for India.

World champion in long jump T64 class, Markus Rehm of Germany said: “This is my second time here but I enjoyed every moment here in India. The hospitality was great; people are super friendly.”

Canada’s Greg Stewart, who became a World Champion in the shot put discipline in New Delhi, said that “Indian culture is very different from what we have back in Canada, but the hospitality has been incredible. I felt the warmth everywhere I went around the stadium or the city.”

Para long jumper Derek Loccident of USA, who bagged silver in the T64 event, said: "I have had a great experience here in New Delhi, India. I have been here for more than a week. From food to the overall organisation of the event has been simply fantastic.”